Alhaji Olanrewaju Adepoju, a notable Yoruba poet, writer, artiste and religious leader, has been reported dead at 83.
According to his son, Adejare Adepoju, the poet died in his Ibadan residence on Sunday, December 10, 2023, at about 7 pm.
Breaking the news, Adejare stated, “Baba has gone to rest.
Adepoju, a religious leader was born in 1940 in Abà Òkè Pupa village, Oyo State, Nigeria. He taught himself to read and write in Yorùbá and English.
He worked in a newspaper house as a proofreader, then became a poet, publishing a collection titled Ìrònú Akéwì in 1972, and a novelist, publishing Ládépò Ọmọ Àdánwò in 1975. The novel was later made into a movie in 2005.
Western Nigerian Broadcasting Service employed him to perform poetry at dawn in a segment called Ìjíǹjí Akéwì (the poet’s morning song). He later resigned (due to copyright demands by the station on his original work) to become an independent poet and record producer, publishing his spoken Yorùbá poetry directly to the public through record plates (vinyl), cassettes, and later CDs.
It is estimated that he has released almost a hundred spoken-word ewì albums.
